Bloom-resistant barrier food packaging

Abstract

A bloom-resistant method of freezing and packaging a fresh food product.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A freezing method for preparing bloom-resistant doughnuts, the method comprising:
 receiving doughnuts, 
 first freezing the doughnuts in a spiral freezer for a dwell time of 15 minutes to 45 minutes to create frozen doughnuts, wherein the spiral freezer has an air temperature ranging from −17° C. to −34° C. and a relative humidity of 80%, 
 packaging the frozen doughnuts in a primary container, wherein the water flux of the frozen doughnuts within the primary container ranges from 0.1 g/day to 3 g/day, 
 wrapping multiple primary containers comprising the frozen doughnuts with a water-vapor permeable material having a water flux ranging from 1 g/day to 20 g/day, 
 sealing the multiple primary containers in a master container, and 
 freezing and indefinitely holding the master container in a static freezer to maintain the frozen state of the frozen doughnuts, wherein the static freezer has an air temperature ranging from −10° C. to −20° C. and a relative humidity of 80%, 
 wherein the freezing method extends the time that bloom formation is observed on the frozen doughnuts compared to frozen doughnuts wrapped in the water-vapor permeable material and only frozen in a static freezer having an air temperature of −10° C. and −20° C. and a relative humidity of 80% and compared to frozen doughnuts wrapped in a second water-vapor permeable material comprising a water flux ranging from 40 g/day to 80 g/day and only frozen in a spiral freezer that has an air temperature ranging from −17° C. to −34° C. and a relative humidity of 80%. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the doughnuts are frosted. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the doughnuts are yeast doughnuts. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein doughnuts are cake doughnuts. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water-vapor permeable material has a water vapor transmission rate ranging from 20 g/m 2 /day to 60 g/m 2 /day. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water flux of the water-vapor permeable material ranges from 1 g/day to 7 g/day. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water flux of the frozen doughnuts is 0.3 g/day. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water-vapor permeable material has a water vapor transmission rate ranging from 20 g/m 2 /day to 60 g/m 2 /day and a water flux ranging from 1 g/day to 7 g/day. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frozen doughnuts have a water vapor transmission rate ranging from 1 g/m 2 /day to 30 g/m 2 /day. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the water flux of the frozen doughnuts is 0.3 g/day. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the freezing method extends the time that bloom formation is observed on the frozen doughnuts by 128 days compared to doughnuts wrapped in the water-vapor permeable material and only frozen in a static freezer having a temperature of −10° C. and −20° C. and relative humidity of 80% and extends the time that bloom formation is observed on the frozen doughnuts by 132 days compared to doughnuts wrapped in a different material comprising a water flux ranging from 40 g/day to 80 g/day and only frozen in a blast freezer under the same freezing conditions.